Mowana, Magic, and Monday

Snow is not my deal. I don’t like to be cold, so I politely decline to make snowmen, ride sleds, ski, or ice skate. Well, I have ice skated on occasion. It’s rare. Mostly, when the kids want to play outside, it’s on Daddy. Granted, in my overachieving 20’s and and early 30’s, I suffered through these activities, but not now. My kids know I love them; I don’t have to get my toes frostbitten to prove how much.

However, this past weekend, we attended Making Room for Jesus at Camp Mowana*, and my snow perspective shifted a bit. We hiked through beautiful, picturesque, landscapes; every picture I took looked like a Christmas card. Okay, I still had frozen toes and skipped sled riding and the second hike, but for awhile, it was pretty amazing.

In those quiet, still, cold, and beautiful moments, God felt so close. It is easy to feel close to God when you remove the pressures of daily life. No tv’s, ipads, xboxes, or computers, but no one gets bored. Kids play chess, hike, color and make crafts. Moms had great conversations, Bible studies, and spent time in prayer, fellowship, and worship.

It is one of those places where God is just so near. You know? You can feel His presence. You are calm. You are centered.

The bad thing about going to those places is that then you come back home. Home to dog hair–seriously, IT’S DECEMBER! ENOUGH ALL READY. Home to migraines and tummy aches and another day off school. Home to “Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet?” I HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED. Home to whining and bickering and sickness and cooking dinner and shopping, and did I mention the freaking dog hair?

Just yesterday, I felt so calm, centered, close to God. Well, I was close to Him this morning as I yell-prayed, “Please LORD, I have so much to do. PLEASE, Lord, no more headaches. NO MORE STOMACHACHES. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.” And God said, “No.”

But in His no, He reminded me that cleaning, working, writing, scrubbing, gifting, shopping, cooking, and stressing can wait. Stop, look around, and embrace the magic in the moments that you are forced to be still. It’s not about going away to find Jesus in a perfect, beautiful place. Sure, that’s great and wonderful, but it’s really about making room for Him in my messy house, cluttered mind, and imperfect life.

It’s about shifts in perspective. It’s about seeing the obstacles as opportunities. I didn’t make it to the gym Monday, but I got to spend the afternoon watching movies with my sweet boy. I’m not going to finish my shopping today, but I get to hold my snuggly littlest all day. I’m not going to spend as much time this holiday with my precious firstborn, but she is going to have an amazing experience on the west coast.

Today, Lord, I’m thankful for messed up plans and the magical opportunities they present. I’m thankful for the ability to see You not only in the picture perfect beauty of Mowana, but also in the messy chaotic beauty on North Park. I’m not thankful for dog hair, but I’m a work in progress. Amen.

* We are not Lutheran, but our good friends are. Also, the camp is more loving Jesus, less being Lutheran.

driving in the snow

as a driver for more than 20 years, and the parent of a child in driver’s training, i know–and have recently relearned–a few things about driving. i’m not bragging. i tend to be nervous. i have been in accidents. i’m cautious. i don’t text and drive. if i talk on my phone, it’s always on speaker, and i rarely do. i usually have a minimum of two children in the car and often four. so i pay attention while i’m driving.

my dad always preached “drive defensively.” i don’t really do that. i try to anticipate when people are going to pull out in front of me, change lanes without looking, and so forth. i watch my husband–road-rage-aholic–try to punish people for their driving errors, “should have gotten in the right lane, asshole, i’m not letting you over.” and many many more, but i digress. i disagree with that. i try to be a compassionate and forgiving driver. i make excuses for most people. i decide they must be in a hurry to pick up a sick child, or something that i can understand. i figure if they’re wrong and i’m right it doesn’t really matter, i don’t want to any of us to end up dead.

now, all that said, in driver’s ed, which we all have to take in ohio, one of the first things students learn is that in adverse weather–snow, sleet, rain, all of which we’ve had daily for the last month–you should 1. decrease your speed 2. increase your following distance. so. WHY DO PEOPLE INSIST ON TAILGATING? i’ve seen bumper stickers about it. they’re generally lewd and profane. i mostly agree with them. i advised a tailgater yesterday via the rearview mirror exactly what i would do to her in no uncertain terms if i did not have two small children in the car. i did not use profanity or hand gestures. but for a brief moment i did contemplate following her to her destination and punching her in the mouth. that would not be compassionate though. so i went home. intact. and i pray that if i have to drive my children to school tomorrow i will have the good fortune of again driving with the slow, safe pack of drivers i was blessed with this morning. all but that asshole behind me.